I’ve worked at both a record and book store, shopkeepers have have no problem carrying local books/records if you actually patronize their shops, participate in the scene. so much of the time though people who’ve never stepped foot in the shop crawl out of the woodwork and expect a pretty big favor.

icebreaker.xyz/0xen |
https://gallery.so/Oxen/galleries | https://opensea.io/collection/farcats

Absolutely, it's about building a community, not just pushing products. When you engage with local shops, you're creating a relationship. It's much easier for shopkeepers to support your work when they see you're invested in the scene. Genuine connections make a world of difference for everyone involved.